User:Twmcinnis/sandbox

Are our males disillusioned? Do they lack a true sense of reality? Does is even matter that they are and continue to be marginalized in numerous aspects of life? Males often see the need to exhibit a macho persona, an egotistical self confidence which at times ignores and exceeds the realm of reality. Males often like to believe that they are the best and they can do anything that they want to. To some extent this is true, they can achieve anything they wish, but the burning question is why can’t they?

Males when observed in a scholastic environment often exhibit a disjointed and unattached demeanor as if to say ‘I don’t care.’ Why is that so? Is society and the way they are socialized responsible for this current state? Are the socially ascribed behaviors expected of males the reason why boys slack off in school and getting good grades seem almost taboo? In the book Teaching the Male Brain how Boys Think, Feel and Learn in School written by Abigail Norfleet James she aptly asks the question, what kind of behaviour is normal for males? What do we mean when we say ‘boys will be boys’? Norfleet James points out that the perceived behavior for a boy usually means that he is tough, he distrusts adults, he doesn't do anything weak or sissy-like, he is muscular, he never cries, he plays sports, he doesn’t talk very much, and he doesn't act like a girl. The text goes on to state; “typical boys are described as physical and active; they like excitement and humour, they value courage and justice, and they want to be respected and admired” (Neall, 2002). The above exert begs the question, are boys brought up to believe that getting good grades, participating in class and being an overall good student is tantamount to emasculation? In discussing this issue with one lecturer, she lamented the fact that the males in one of her classes flat out refused to take part in an event she wished to send two representatives, a male and a female. She seemed genuinely perturbed in relating how she virtually had to twist arms in order to get one single male to do a simple task. “Why is this so?!?” she asks and in answering her it finally sunk in that there is a problem and truth be told this researcher is a part of that problem. I answered based on what I would have done if I were one of the males in her class and quite frankly I would have probably behaved the same way. I would have been reluctant to step up not because it would be difficult, but because I didn’t want to. In that situation I would have thought to myself that some other guy would jump at the opportunity; to some extent if I were in that situation I would have been conscious of what other boys especially would think and say. The text mentions that men aspire to be respected and admired and as I pointed out to my lecturer that in the society  we live, doing that simple task of which she asked of the males is not seen as a way of getting that respect and admiration which our males so desperately desire. Gaining that respect and admiration from your peers is often placed before academics and high academic performance.

Let us now take a deeper look at this notion of academic performance in relation to the male and by extension the wider society. A boy who does extremely well in school, who is active and is always willing to go the extra mile academically, how is he perceived by his counterparts and by extension the wider society? While he may be lauded and may receive some attention he almost never is the star of the show. It is always the guy who is ‘Mr. Cool’, the star athlete, the guy with the girls, the money, the life of the party and usually this person is not at the top of his class academically (there are of course exceptions to the case). In that vein there are always cases of boys who excel academically but fall by the wayside in their quest to become what is socially deemed ‘cool’, in their attempt to be the guy their peers look up to and want to be, in essence falling into academic obscurity to attain what the wider society perpetuates as acceptable. Good grades are applauded, but being the best footballer and being a ladies man is what gets the standing ovation. In class answering a question posed by the teacher correctly is often forgotten at the end of the day but giving a quick and witty remark is what endears a boy to his friends, this is as mentioned before what is perpetuated almost to the point of expectancy in our schools and wider society. How often do we see a boy acting up, playing the fool and dismiss it by casually remarking ‘boys will be boys’. How often do we see a boy who excels in his book work, speaks properly, maybe dislikes contact sports and prefers more expressive outlets and on the surface we are okay with that but deep down are somewhat worried that this boy may be a little girly, or not manly enough. If this is the case as it often is, are we sending the right message to our boys regarding what behavior is masculine and acceptable as opposed to what behavior is not? Norfleet James states, “How soon does society put pressure on children to conform to gender appropriate behavior?

According to Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society the debate on what causes the difference between boys and girls focuses on the nature versus nurture issue. Regarding the difference between males and females, the text states that researchers attribute many of the differences between males and females to socialization patterns in child rearing and school (Chinn, 2009). The question once again must be asked, how does socialization relate to male academic performance? Culture, defined as a people’s way of life, is seen in the text Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society as influencing men in regards to gender. According to the text, masculinity is highly valued in many cultures is often measured by a man’s independence, assertiveness, leadership, self- reliance, and emotional stability. “Real men are supposed to be tough, confident, self–reliant as well as aggressive and daring.” Fear of being labeled often forces boys to behave in a manner which society expects, a stereotype which if not adhered to leads to others especially peers seeing that male as a sissy, gay or homosexual. Particularly in a society like Jamaica where our culture views homosexuality as a cardinal sin, being labeled as such is probably the greatest fear among males. Hence our boys often get into trouble for misbehaving and harassing other boys, slacking off in class and doing poorly in school because it is what is expected of them, it is socially expected antisocial behavior. Underachievement often does not alarm anyone until it is too late. Being socially acceptable is the goal to be attained even if it comes at the expense of academic achievement. According to psychologists Kindlon and Thompson, boys have not been encouraged to be emotionally literate so that they can be themselves rather than develop a culturally determined gender identity with little room for divergence (Kindlon & Thompson 2000). Gender identity therefore is of paramount importance in studying male socialization and academic performance. Does the general gender identity assumed by our males reflect boys not being emotionally literate? Is there some level of emotional disconnection within the male which prevents him from truly expressing himself and doing the thing he wants and not because society said to? Does this emotional illiteracy and lack of true gender identity explain why males will fail all their exams, drop out of school, be a burden to society while still being held in high regard by their peers and most shockingly, be comfortable with himself? According to an article written by Joel Rachelson, Ph.D. entitled “The Price Women Pay for Men's Emotional Illiteracy”, one of the primary causes of emotional disconnection among men is that they grow up without someone who they can look to as a model of how a proper male should act and feel. The lack of such a model as based on the article leaves men with a gap in their lives, one which apparently affects them for their entire lives.

The psychological state of males has been an issue of concern among many researchers and scholarly articles which speak to the issue of males and academic performance. For some, addressing the psychological concerns of the male in theory should improve the areas in which male continue to fall short. What in the first place has caused the psychological damage that has been done to males? Is society to be held responsible? How do we go about rectifying this problem? According to “The ‘Boy Turn’ in Research on Gender and Education”, the solution to increasing male academic failure- finding according to the article supported by research is to rectify the “emotional connections with parents and other adults (Real Boys, 1998).”

In addressing the question of who is responsible for this dilemma which we face, Micheal Gurian in Boys and Girls Learn Differently! put forward the notion that boys and girls learn differently which in any case is correct, but he goes on to state that due to this fact that boys and girls have different educational needs. Schools however are failing to address the needs of boys hence the fallout in male academic performance and other aspects of life. Now in a country like Jamaica whose educational system has come under scrutiny for a number of reasons, being ill equipped to cater to gender specific needs does not sound very farfetched. It is a documented fact that males and females do differ in many respects from preferences to learning methods. If this is the case, how many schools, how many teachers are conscious of the fact that dealing with boys in the same manner in which they deal with girls is counter- productive and a key reason behind why boys may struggle to stay on track?

Throughout all sources of information there have been common themes which seem to support what the researchers have been theorizing from the beginning, that certain factors are behind the poor academic performance of males. One of these factors, according to “Ye’ve got to ‘ave balls to play this game sir! Boys, peers and fears: the negative influence of school based cultural accomplices’ in constructing hegemonic masculinities”, sees the lack of male role models as among the reasons for the problems faced by boys, not the least among them scholastic problems. In addition to the issue of the lack of ideal male role models for males to look up to according to the article, peer culture and the generative influence the peer group has on regulating hierarchical masculinities is very important. Through the use of a case study the author was able to surmise how important peers are in shaping school experience. According to the article: “the cut and thrust world of informal pupil culture’s most pressing demand is the need to be popular, and it is this incessant search for status that impels boys into ‘taking up the offer’ of a desired position in the gender order by performatively demonstrating compliance to collective group norms and behaviours.” Unfortunately this compliance to group norms and behavior in the quest to be popular often means the shunning of school work as this, as illustrated in the article and numerous other studies, is equated to being, feminine, less than a man, which is quite unfortunate. Why do males equate doing school work with being feminine? How responsible is socialization for this ideology? How can it if any at all be remedied?

According to one article written by Frank Harris III and Shaun R. Harper entitled “Masculinities go to Community College: Understanding Male Identity Socialization and Gender Role Conflicts”, school work is not what society prescribes as acceptable behavior. The article states: “Scholars consistently note that the tasks that lead to academic success do not complement the activities in which boys engage to achieve a masculine identity. Swain described the relationship between achieving a masculine identity and attending to schoolwork as fundamentally incompatible, given the processes of gender socialization for boys. For boys, learning and studying are equated with femininity” (Frank Harris III, 2008). Studying and by extension school work is considered feminine hence the hesitancy in boys regarding excelling academically. Within this article the interesting concept mentioned above stipulated that the relationship between achieving masculine identity, which we have already established is the goal which boys generally risk life and limb to gain, and attending to schoolwork are basically incompatible. Is it safe to assume then that it is virtually impossible for males to be the ‘man’ that they so desperately want to be, while still thriving academically? More importantly, is it an impossibility for society to revamp the ideology that a man is not normal if he is brilliant and achieves this elusive masculine identity at the same time? Can a man not have his cake and eat it too?

Does the unwillingness, or to go even further the inability to admit that help is needed highlight the fact that men prefer to fail continuously and struggle academically than seek help for fear of what peers may think and say about ones masculinity? Harris and Harper in their article gave four case studies that underlined the struggle that males face, at times unnecessarily, in a quest to achieve while at the same time satisfying societies stipulated male behavior. The article put forward a few recommendations that would help in this struggle:

·        Encourage male students to reconsider their negative perceptions of help seeking that many have been socialized to assume

·        Provide opportunities for critical reflection on masculinity through journaling, course readings, analyzing popular media, and other assignments (Davis and Laker, 2004)

·        Increase male students’ participation in campus activities and programs that facilitate healthy identity development and lead to productive outcomes;

·        Provide opportunities for bonding by way of facilitated discussion groups and other activities that are popular among male students.

(Frank Harris III, 2008).

Enumerated above are just a few of the recommendations made in the article which it may be said will go afar way if taken on by our males in giving them the confidence to be the best that they can be.

An issue that caught my eye in reading the various texts was that although most offered possible ways to remedy the problems faced by boys at the primary level, practically nothing was forthcoming regarding older boys, or men as the case may be who are pursuing college education but still struggle with the issue of academic performance as highlighted in our study.

Are positive roles models the remedy for the lack of academic performance among males?

According to Teaching the male brain, one theory suggests that many boys do not have enough time with their fathers. This ‘lack of time’ according to the text creates a ‘father hunger’ in which boys go looking for an older male to whom they can look up to. Sadly the role models whom boys tend to pick up are less than ideal. Following these role models see our boys adapting poorly to an environment where academic pursuits are encouraged eventually seeing a number of them joining gangs, interacting poorly with others, essentially becoming another statistic.